


oujitan

by cantfoolajoker (lichmutual)



Category: Persona 4, Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: AU, Akira is a literal rat, Also don't question the timeline either, Also includes real facts about rats because I like rats and have done research, Based on a Tumblr Post, Comedy, Don't question the plot of this, Fluff and Humor, Goofy - Freeform, M/M, Tagging that bc Naoto is Trans and I said so I'm the Author, Trans Shirogane Naoto, What's the point of being an author if I can't be self indulgent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-21
Updated: 2019-11-21
Packaged: 2021-02-18 10:17:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21509455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lichmutual/pseuds/cantfoolajoker
Summary: Yu didn’t know what to expect when he came out to see what the local stray cats were getting up in arms over. They were usually pretty docile, albeit maybe pushy since they wanted to be petted and fed. Ushering his kid cousin further inside when she attempted to poke her head out and see past him, Yu closed the door and held the doorknob while carefully surveying the scene.There were two cats who were the main instigators, batting a black-furred thing between the both of them. It was when the creature uncurled itself in order to make a run for it that Yu realized what it was: a rat.
Relationships: Kurusu Akira/Narukami Yu, Persona 4 Protagonist/Persona 5 Protagonist
Comments: 9
Kudos: 172





	oujitan

**Author's Note:**

> you may be asking why did i write this. the burst of inspiration was supported by energy drinks and hyperfocusing through it because that was what my brain said to do. please enjoy. 
> 
> (inspired by [this post](https://perplexedcaffeineconsumer.tumblr.com/post/189156962226/tfw-you-kiss-a-rat-expecting-to-get-the-plague))

Yu didn’t know what to expect when he came out to see what the local stray cats were getting up in arms over. They were usually pretty docile, albeit maybe pushy since they wanted to be pet and fed. Ushering his kid cousin further inside when she attempted to poke her head out and see past him, Yu closed the door and held the doorknob while carefully surveying the scene.

There were two cats who were the main instigators, batting a black-furred thing between the both of them. It was when the creature uncurled itself in order to make a run for it that Yu realized what it was: a rat.

“Hey now,” he started, walking forward and shooing the surrounding felines watching the one-sided fight. One of the cats had a paw trapping the rat’s tail, making escape impossible for the small critter. Yu frowned at the scene and decided to use his size to his advantage, playing the card of the bigger predator as he took a step and stomped his foot to send dust flying as he moved closer. The two cats scattered with a snarling expression but deciding not to put up a fight with the hand that gave them food, and all that was left was the black rat, cowering with its paws covering its ears.

Yu knew it probably wasn’t a good idea to just pick up a rat off the street, but he was admittedly easily swindled by cute creatures, and swindled he was yet again as he reached down and picked up the small critter. It could easily fit in the palm of his hands, as the rat looked up at him, giving him what he thought was an inquisitive look that was accented by the strange white markings surrounding its eyes.

Maybe it was someone's pet rat who got out? It seemed pretty well cared for aside from a dirty coat from being rolled around on the ground, and the peculiar markings made Yu think it could have been some sort of prize show animal with how unique and admittedly pretty it was.

A voice knocked him out of his thoughts, the soft sound of the door opening once more catching his attention. “Big bro?” Nanako questioned, peeking out once more from the slit in the doorway, and Yu knew it was time to return inside with a new friend in hand.

“It’s alright, I won’t hurt you,” he assured the rat, which made a soft squeaking noise as if it were responding. Its nose twitched and its whiskers flared as it studied Yu, which he plainly tried to ignore the beady black eyes staring at him as he went inside and locked the door behind him.

“Is that a rat?” Nanako asked, blinking as her eyes widened. “Were the cats bullying it? Poor mister rat.”

Yu tried not to visibly react, though a slight perk of his eyebrow did occur as he moved to look for something to set the rat in so it wouldn’t suddenly escape despite its current docile nature. “What makes you think its a boy?”

Nanako hummed in response, idly following him as he searched. “I don’t know,” she said. “I don’t know much about rats.”

“I don’t either,” Yu responded with ease, trying not to let the reality of the situation get the better of him. “Also, ah, maybe we don’t tell your dad I brought a rat into the house,” he added on, glancing back at her to give a bit of a weak smile. Nanako nodded her head, putting on a serious face.

“I promise I won’t say a word!” she swore, and Yu was glad at least he had someone on his side for this.

The rat was well behaved the entire search, with Yu finding an old shoebox he could poke some holes in to make some sort of makeshift housing for it. Yu almost felt he didn’t need to make one for it, but the impending idea of this rat and Dojima having a standoff at three in the morning was not at all something he liked, so the box was the next best option.

At some point, Nanako had gotten closer, almost peering over Yu. “Can I see it?” she asked hesitantly, big brown eyes focused on the animal in question.

Yu did not know how to feel over the idea of handing the rat to Nanako. On one hand, it seemed like it was domesticated and generally relaxed, but on the other hand, they had no idea of knowing where it’d been. While Yu was hesitating, the rat perked and paused, and within a few moments made Yu’s mind up for him, scurrying to the edge of his palm in a quick step and hopping off to approach Nanako.

“Hey-” Yu lunged for it, but he missed his target and flopped against the floor as Nanako successfully scooped the black-furred critter in her hands, giggling loudly. The rat was squeaking loudly too, as if it were laughing in its own way.

“That tickles!” Nanako laughed, the rat climbing up her arm to perch on her shoulder, and Yu swore he watched it stick its tongue out at him. Little bastard.

“Nanako,” Yu started calmly, moving to get up. “Can I have the rat back?”

There was a pause, a sense of hesitation hanging in the air at the request. “Hmmmmm.”

Nanako turned and scampered away with the rat in tow, laughing happily. 

* * *

“What should we call it?” Nanako asked curiously, sitting on a chair at the dining table while Yu stood and made the shoebox he found somewhat cozy, stuffing scraps of fabric and putting air holes in it with a pair of scissors.

Yu looked up, tilting his head. “What if it already has a name?” he asked, and the rat in question perked up, eating from a cup of yogurt Yu had found in the fridge and given it as food. It seemed to pause, and it appeared as if it felt self-conscious, because it pulled its paws back and began to clean its muzzle.

“Do you have a name, mister rat?” Nanako asked, leaning forward as if she was going to hang off of whatever it had to say. 

There was a pause, a glance from the rat, and a squeak, another ripple causing its whiskers to shake. 

Nanako hummed and sat back. Yu went back to fixing the habitat until his kid cousin spoke up once more, pondering aloud.

“Do you think if you kissed it, it’d turn into a prince?”

“What makes you think that?” Yu asked, being careful not to sound discouraging with his tone and word choice.

“Well- in the movie they showed us in class last week, there was a girl who kissed a frog, and the frog turned out to be a prince!” Nanako explained, and Yu nodded along, feigning interest as he knew what story she was referring to.

“I don’t know how much I suggest kissing random animals,” he told her, light, trying to let her down easy. Nanako still hummed though, putting her arms on the table and slouching over to watch the peculiar black rat with white markings. 

“How about Oujitan? Do you like that name?” she asked suddenly, and the rat perked, tail swishing as its ears stood and it responded with an almost pleasant squeak and a nod of its head. Smiling happily, Nanako looked up at Yu and looked completely pleased, and Yu couldn’t help but smile back, finding his cousin’s excitement contagious. 

“Well, Oujitan,” Yu spoke, and Oujitan responded by looking at him, almost as if it knew that was now the name it was going to be going by. “Your home's ready now when you’re ready to sleep.”

* * *

Yu had thought he’d left the rat in the box. He made sure to strap it down, keeping the air holes he cut out open so he could breathe, and yet here he was, in the boys bathroom trying to find a way to disentangle Oujitan from the loose threads of his schoolbag where he’d hooked his claws into it. 

“Really? You _really_ had to follow me to school?” Yu asked, frustrated, and the rat responded with a sad whimper and black eyes that shone like it was going to cry. It made him pause, recollect himself, and let out a breath of air in a sigh. 

Cats usually had him wrapped around their paws, and he was always wrapped around Nanako’s finger. This rat managed to somehow get him hooked around his claw in the short amount of time they spent together. That _must_ have been some sort of record. Maybe he really was as big of a softie as everyone else said he was.

He finally got Oujitan to relax his grip and was able to successfully remove the pulled threads from his claws. Setting the rat on his shoulder, he surveyed the damage done to his book bag. He’d need to ask Kanji later about potentially sewing down the loose threads, but for now, he shut his bag and stood up, looking into the mirror beside him and making eye contact with black eyes through it as Oujitan stood on his hind legs and watched back through the reflection.

“You’re one smart rat,” Yu murmured, curious and interested, but his eyes shifted to the clock on the wall. “Shit.”

Grabbing Oujitan, he decided the best course of action was to stuff him in the pocket on the inside of his school jacket. “Please don’t move too much or make any noise,” Yu practically begged, adjusting his jacket as Oujitan made a squeak of protest before shifting to make himself comfortable. Thankfully, the rat seemed to enjoy the warmth and enclosed space, deciding laying on his back was the best course of action to take and peering up at Yu through the shadows the pocket cast.

“Just- rest there and I’ll let you run around at break,” Yu told him, and Oujitan nodded his head like he understood what he said. Yu wasn’t going to question at that moment how the rat understood what he said, he was just going to thank his lucky stars and close his jacket, adjusting it so the new weight wasn’t blatantly obvious in weighing the fabric down. 

Exiting the bathroom, he managed to bump into a familiar face he already had plans to speak to.

“Senpai?” Kanji asked quizzically, eyebrows furrowed. “Aren’t you usually in class by now-”

“Ah,” Yu cut him off. “I need to talk to you later.” Realizing how stern he sounded, he lifted his bag and nodded his head toward it. “Wardrobe malfunction.”

“Uh-huh.” Kanji nodded his head, seeming like he was still processing the answer to his first question and had not yet noticed Yu’s request. Yu just nodded in return and moved to walk around him, deciding he was going to use the class time to find some way to answer the inevitable questions he was going to receive. 

* * *

"So let me get this straight,” Kanji said, fishing out his sewing kit from his bag as the two were seated on the roof of the school. “You used your school bag to catch a cat from a tree and it scratched up the inside of your bag?”

Yu could feel the subtle shift in weight as his jacket practically swayed to and from his body. “Yes.”

Kanji wasn’t dumb by any means, but Kanji also was one to take things at face value, especially coming from someone he trusted. Yu felt bad for taking advantage of that fact, especially since he could see his friend nod his head slowly and smile pleasantly. “You’re so cool, Senpai,” Kanji told him, turning his bag inside out and readying a needle and thread. “What was the cat-like?”

Ah, shit.

“Well,” Yu started, attempting to find an answer to the question. “It was kinda small and all black,” he said, nodding his head as if he were finished. He wasn’t though, because the pause in response from Kanji, who was focused on the sewing job and reasonably silent, only added to the guilt in him at lying to his friend, making him blurt out, “It also had weird white markings on its face.”

Now that made Kanji pause. “Weird how?” he asked, looking up.

“Ah,” Yu paused. “Like, it only has markings on its eyes. Kinda like a mask.” _Too much info, Yu. Too much info._

“Like- how?” Kanji’s eyebrows quirked, and Yu could feel his brilliant plan he spent all of class perfecting was loose at the seams. “Are you sure it didn’t just have stuff on its fur? Do you have a picture?”

Opening his mouth to speak, there was another shift in his jacket, and a very soft squeak emitted from it. Yu paused, making eye contact with Kanji, and he hoped, practically prayed he’d missed the sound.

“Yu,” Kanji started after a bit, for once using his given name. “Do you- ah, do you have something in your pocket?”

“...”

Another squeak confirmed Kanji’s suspicions much to Yu’s dismay, and he knew the rat was out of the bag, with Oujitan beginning to claw and climb his way out of Yu’s jacket pocket with more determined squeaks. “Oujitan, Oujitan- you’re pulling on my jacket,” he tried to inform him, but the rat didn’t seem to care, so it was up to Yu to try and get a handle on the struggling critter while Kanji watched with slowly dawning comprehension as Yu dropped a rat into his own lap.

Yu felt his cheeks heat in embarrassment, mostly from the shame at lying to his friend. Kanji however didn’t seem to mind as much, as he was now focused on Oujitan, who stood on his hind legs to clean his face and turned to look at him with big black eyes.

At least Yu knew he wasn’t alone in being charmed by Oujitan, since he could see the fawning expression take over Kanji’s face. “Oujitan, huh?” he repeated, wearing a happy expression he saved for only the cutest things. 

“You can hold him after you finish sewing my bag,” Yu offered, shifting to adjust to the weight of Oujitan hauling his way up his arm to sit himself on his shoulder and look around. That was all it took to get Kanji back to what he was doing, with Oujitan sitting watching curiously.

“How’d you find him anyway?” Kanji asked as he traded Yu’s bag for Oujitan when he finished, the black rat surprisingly not struggling and easily allowing himself to be handled like he’d let Yu handle him.

“He was outside the house getting attacked by some cats,” Yu explained, and Kanji nodded his head.

“He does look like he’s got a mask on,” he commented, holding up Oujitan to his face, and the rat squeaked, stretching his head forward to sniff at Kanji. “Really pretty fur markings. Almost like he had them painted on,” he added on, bringing Oujitan closer to him so he could run his thumb along the white fur like he was trying to make sure it wasn’t just painted on. Oujitan squirmed in his grasp, and Yu reached his hands out.

“Maybe don’t do that,” he suggested, prepared to catch him if he were to escape, but Oujitan stayed obedient when Kanji stopped his prodding and instead ran his thumb along the length of his back. For once a different sound came from Oujitan, almost similar to a cat’s purr with the way he gently chittered his upper and lower teeth together. 

“Awh, he’s happy,” Kanji commented.

“I don’t know enough about rats to confirm or deny that,” Yu commented, but Oujitan didn’t seem to be in any distress, so Yu allowed himself to relax.

They sat there until it was time to return to class, Kanji reluctantly giving the rat back to Yu, and Oujitan was returned to his pocket where he yawned and curled up to most likely nap after all the excitement. Yu was mostly thankful he didn’t have to have to handle an energetic rat for the rest of the day.

“Thanks again for fixing my bag,” he told Kanji as he stood up. “Also, could you maybe not mention to anyone I accidentally brought a rat to school?”

Kanji quirked an eyebrow. “Why would I bring that up?” He did shake his head after his question, “Yeah, no problem, I won’t say a word.”

* * *

Oh how that was almost as much of a lie that Yu had told Kanji.

“Senpai,” Naoto greeted with a polite nod of his head. “Do you mind if I ask you a couple of questions?”

Now, Yu was aware of that tone Naoto typically used when he wanted to address something, having caught on to the formality of it he’d picked up from his detective work. This was that tone, the tone that made Yu pause and accept his defeat because he already knew where this was going.

“I don’t mind at all,” he responded, and Naoto nodded, motioning for him to follow.

The walk was quiet for the most part, with the pair heading up to the roof for lunch time. Yu spotted a familiar figure sitting where he’d seen him at break, and Yu’s suspicions were confirmed.

“Sorry, Senpai,” Kanji apologized, rubbing the back of his neck. 

“It’s alright,” Yu said, managing to crack a light hearted smile to try and make him feel better.

Taking a seat next to Kanji, Naoto motioned for Yu to do the same. “So,” the detective started, “Kanji told me you’ve got a plus one with you.”

“In my defense, Naoto’s pretty good at getting info out of people,” Kanji interjected, which earned him a gentle pat on bicep to shush him.

“I do,” Yu responded after a pause, glancing around to ensure there wasn’t any prying ears. Moving his jacket like some sort of dealer from a movie, he reached in and scooped out the body of little Oujitan, who grumbled and squirmed in an attempt to flip over. “Sorrryyyy,” Yu apologized as he moved his other hand to give his furry friend proper footing, and Oujitan sat back on his haunches in order to clean his face with his paws, looking like he’d just been woken up from a nap.

Naoto’s mouth slackened slightly in response, looking like he was at a loss for words while Kanji appeared to have been charmed yet again by just being in the presence of Oujitan. 

“He was getting attacked by cats,” Yu explained, hoping that would lessen the bewildered expression.

“Uuuuh-huh.” Naoto didn’t seem too convinced.

Oujitan squeaked as he dropped his paws to their usual position in front of his chest before he plopped down onto all fours in Yu’s palms, perking at the sight of the two first years in front of him. He moved to the tips of his holder’s fingers, who cupped upward in order to stop Oujitan from potentially jumping off, but instead the rat grasped his fingers as if they were a railing and stared at Naoto. His whiskers shook and he squeaked, nodding his head.

“Alright then,” Naoto said, moving to adjust his cap as he spoke, and Yu swore he saw the faintest of blush on his cheeks. _Not Naoto too!_

“Do you know if it’s a wild rat? Or perhaps someone’s pet?” the detective inquired, shifting his focus so he wasn’t having a stare down with said rat.

Yu shook his head in response. “I think he’s domesticated.”

“You think?”

“He’s really good with people,” Kanji explained, moving to hold a hand out to connect to Yu’s, and Oujitan easily glanced between the two before crawling into his palm. “He let me hold ‘im earlier without much fuss.”

Pulling his hand back with Oujitan in tow, the rat tilted his head back and sniffed the air before moving to claw his way up Kanji’s arm. “Hey- that tickles!” the owner of said arm laughed, his jacket partially falling off his shoulders.

“Ah, are you sure that’s safe?” Naoto asked in a panic, moving as if he was about to grab Oujitan. It wasn’t clear if it was for Oujitan’s safety or Kanji’s, though. “Did you take him to the vet at all, Yu?”

“About that.”

Naoto rolled his eyes and plucked the furry critter from Kanji’s shoulder at that response, much to the “Hey!” he received and the offended squeak at being handled.

“You can’t just let some potentially dangerous animal crawl around on people,” the detective pointed out, moving to support Oujitan’s feet and hold him properly. 

“You are _literally_ holding him right now,” Yu pointed out.

“Yes, because I don’t want Kanji getting sick,” Naoto responded cooly, but his cheeks still gained that pink color from earlier again as he moved to bring Oujitan up to eye level. “Also, he’s admittedly fairly soft.”

Oujitan preened at the compliment, stretching his head out and closing his eyes like he understood exactly what Naoto had said and was flaunting it. “He appears to be fairly intelligent too. I can see why you would think he’s been domesticated already.”

“You have no idea,” Yu breathed, sighing. “I still don’t know how he got out of his box this morning.”

“Box?”

“Yeah, I grabbed an old shoebox-” Yu motioned to show the general size and length of said box he was referring to, “-and I cut some holes into it and put some bedding in there so he wouldn’t just run rampant around the house.”

“Does Nanako at least know he’s there?” Kanji questioned.

“She’s the one who named him. Pretty certain it’s because of the Princess and the Frog.”

“Well, you’re certainly more charming than a frog,” Naoto murmured, running his thumb along Oujitan’s back.

“What was that, Naoto?”

“N-Nothing!” he stammered, cheeks flaring red, and Oujitan chittered as if he was laughing.

With the pause in conversation, Oujitan perked before suddenly wiggling himself free from Naoto’s grasp, making quick work to scale his arm while the detective was only able to react with a “huh?!” in alarm. Shifting to his haunches at his shoulder, the rat used the rim of Naoto’s hat as leverage to haul himself up to the top of his head, planting himself firmly on top at the center and only scratching his ear at the victory. 

“He’s on top of your head,” Kanji commented in amazement, with Yu quirking his head and staring equally in wonderment and some confusion.

“I-I know he is!” Naoto exclaimed, flustered. An attempt at removing the offending rodent failed as Oujitan effortlessly dodged, almost as he was trained and fluid in situating himself on less reliable surfaces. “Can one of you get him off?!”

Kanji reacted first, reaching forward with two hands to capture Oujitan and hold him firmly so he couldn’t escape. With only a meager grasp with his claws at the hat, the furry critter was removed without much hassle, though he did produce an alarmed squeak when Kanji squeezed him too hard in a panic.

“Sorry, little guy,” he apologized as he brought him in front of him. Oujitan looked up at him and softly squeaked before using his nose to nudge his top finger and then run the length of his head over it. The action made Kanji endeared, and he brought Oujitan close to him in as close to a hug as he could, which earned another frightened squeak at the potential of being squished.

“Ah, ah, Kanji, don’t suffocate him!” Yu said, and the trio continued to quarrel until the bell was close to ringing.

“I suggest we try and make missing pet posters for him to stick around town,” Naoto said, standing up and adjusting his cap. “We could also ask around if someone has lost a black rat with white markings.”

Yu didn’t know why he didn’t like the sound of that idea, the concept of giving up Oujitan weighing heavy in his stomach. Oujitan made a curious noise in response, perking up when he heard Naoto’s suggestion with his movements conveying his curiosity with how he stood on his hind legs— Yu could tell that was his go-to reaction whenever he was interested in something, almost as if he was trying to assert himself. He quickly settled back onto all four of his paws though after the information settled.

“Should we call everyone to the food court?” Yu proposed.

“That would be wise.”

Yu grunted, producing his phone and sending out a message in the group chat, not providing much context as to why he was doing so. At the ensuing confusion, he promised he’d explain when everyone got there, and with that he pocketed his phone and sighed, looking at his furry friend in his other hand.

“We better return to class,” Naoto spoke, nodding. “I’ll see you both at the food court then.” He paused, hesitating when his eyes shifted to Oujitan, and he gave a small wave before he turned to leave. _Did he really just wave goodbye to the rat and not me?_

“See ya later, Senpai. And see you later too, Oujitan!” Kanji added on, grinning and also giving Oujitan a wave before he hurried along after Naoto. Much to Yu’s chagrin, Oujitan had the nerve to wave back. 

Sighing, Yu moved to bring Oujitan up to eye level, and Oujitan turned to look at him in turn. It was almost as if Yu could picture a person doing his movements; the quirks, the attitude, the way Oujitan’s eyes shone with determination that was too human to ignore. Yu was aware animals weren’t some two-dimensional beings, but there was something about this rat that was different.

Oujitan moved to scratch behind his ear with one of his forepaws, appearing almost awkward under Yu’s intense gaze, and he shook his head before continuing to return the gaze. 

“You’re gonna need to go back into my pocket until school ends,” Yu explained, moving to show him the pocket that had become Oujitan’s home away from home in less than a day. “I can let you run around after school, but for now, can you just relax?”

Oujitan paused, eyes glancing between the pocket and Yu’s face. The way he could see the rat’s mind working, gears turning as if he considered his offer like it was an actual offer, not an order. With a soft squeak, he moved himself to the edge of Yu’s fingers and reached out to communicate he was ready to go back into his pocket.

Smiling softly, Yu shifted to allow him to climb into his pocket of his own free will, which Oujitan did, situating himself once again on his back like he’d been laying earlier. “Thank you,” he told him, gentle, and he heard that same soft chattering sound from earlier in response, as if Oujitan was content.

Yu could feel that contentedness too as he returned to class, still smiling pleasantly. 

* * *

“Oh, he’s so cute!” Yukiko cooed, clapping her hands together as Oujitan practically struck a pose under the attention and- _did he just wink?_

“I mean, he’s got cool markings and all,” Chie said, hands on her hips from where she stood behind Yukiko as she bent down to examine him. “Don’t know about him being cute though.”

If Oujitan could make an unamused expression, that was what he was wearing as he looked at Chie, and his lip curled as he let out a short snicker and moved closer to cuddle up to Yukiko in retaliation at the comment. Chie pulled back her head and stumbled back, letting out an offended “hey!” and huffing while Yukiko showered her new furry friend in attention. 

Yu shook his head affectionately at the scene, chuckling gently before turning his attention to the others.

“I did some research on rats on the way here,” Naoto explained, pulling his phone from his jacket pocket. “I couldn’t find any that had such distinct patterns, though I believe it’s safe to assume he’s a fancy rat rather than a black rat since he acts domesticated.”

“But it’s a black rat though,” Rise pointed out, tilting her head.

“Black rats are a type of rat,” Naoto clarified, turning his phone as he explained. “They’re commonly ship rats, and would be far more dangerous than that one.”

Oujitan perked up at him being referenced, and he made the same chattering noise with his teeth as he did earlier, almost smiling. “Is that safe for him to be doing that?” Kanji asked, tapping his fingers against the table to call him over, which Oujitan considered before taking his time to make his way over.

“He’s bruxing, which is a normal thing rats do,” the detective explained, nodding his head after. “It’d be odd if he wasn’t doing it.”

Yosuke leaned back as the rat ambled in front of him, moving away like he had some sort of area of effect barrier around him. “You know, I could probably sneak him into one of the cages in the pet section,” he offered, looking at Yu from where he was leaned back.

Alarm flashed through Yu at the idea of just leaving Oujitan like that. “No!” he said suddenly, and after a short pause turned pink at his outburst and the way Yosuke defensively held his hands up in response. “That would be mean, not even mentioning the multiple ways that could go wrong like-...”

“Now, now, that’s some beary rude language to use!” Teddie muttered upon hearing Oujitan’s loud complaints as if he took offense to what Yosuke had said. He was silenced upon hearing the comment, glancing back at the speaker who gave him a knowing look, and he decided to finish his scampering to Kanji.

“What happened to looking for his owner? Did you just get a new pet rat now, Yu?” Chie asked, crossing her arms as she gave him a look after he finished his speech.

“I told you guys, Nanako named it too,” Yu responded, his face still flushed in defiance.

“Is that your argument, dude?” Yosuke questioned, shoulders slouching as his eyes closed.

“I wouldn’t call it an argument as much as an acknowledgment that Nanako would be sad if Oujitan was put into a habitat in Junes, and nobody here wants to see Nanako sad, do they?”

Yu’s question was met with silence. “Thought so,” he said after a pause, relishing in his minor victory as he sat back and crossed his arms.

Yukiko hummed thoughtfully, and she called Oujitan back over to her with a short whistle and a drum of her fingers against the table, stealing him away from a now pouting Kanji’s grasp. “Oujitan’s a cute name,” she said, bringing up her hand to gently run her fingers along the back of the rat once more. “It reminds me of that one fairytale- the one with the frog.”

“The Princess and the Frog?” Rise clarified, perking an eyebrow. “Don’t tell me you think kissing that thing is gonna make it turn into a cute boy, Yukiko-senpai.”

“I for one know he’d be a devilishly charming young man,” Teddie piped in confidently, which was met with astounding negativity. Even Oujitan retreated closer to Yukiko.

Yosuke put his head in his hands. “Dude, it’s a rat.”

“So? And I’m a bear.”

“That’s- that’s not even the same thing!”

The group exchanged quiet and fond exasperated grins at the bickering, though Yukiko continued to ponder thoughtfully as she pet Oujitan’s fur. Leaning down, she planted a kiss on his forehead, just above where his white mask marks dipped, before she pulled back and smiled pleasantly.

In response, Oujitan sat on his hind legs and began to try and clean that exact spot, the smell of chapstick now clinging to his fur as he struggled with getting his paws to reach it. “C’mere,” Yu told him, motioning for him to come over to the other side of the table, and Yukiko laughed as Oujitan scampered back to Yu without much hassle.

Licking his thumb, Yu carefully groomed the spot in order to get rid of the residue. “Ugh, you’re like a mom to it already,” Rise commented, pouting as she regarded the rat.

Oujitan perked at her and proceeded to mimic the same grunting sound, albeit at a higher pitched. Rise’s jaw dropped in offense as Yukiko began to laugh louder, with several other members joining in as Naoto pulled his hat down carefully to mask his smile and even Yu snorted, though the latter at least tried to hold a straight face.

“You know, you kind of deserved that one,” Chie said, and Rise’s shoulders slumped into more of a pout more than they had before.

With the cleaning job done, Yu smiled and began petting Oujitan idly once more. “I think it’s still worth checking to see if anyone’s lost a pet still,” he commented, pausing his motion when said pet in question nudged his hand carefully and sniffed. Taking a tentative step onto his hand, Oujitan began to make the careful climb up his arm, which Yu was used to by this point, only moving his other hand in case he fell.

“For now, he should probably stay in your care so the wild cats don’t catch him again,” Naoto pointed out.

“Have you even told Dojima yet?” Kanji questioned, and Yu’s expression went from neutral to a very obviously forced smile as he ensured Oujitan was now steadily on his shoulder.

“Oh, about that.”

“That sounds like an oof,” Yukiko said.

“I reaaaallly hope you know what you’re doing, partner,” Yosuke told him, arms crossed.

Yu sighed, his expression falling. “I’ll worry about that when I have to worry about it.”

Oujitan had now found residence in the nook of Yu’s neck, where his school jacket opened up to allow his face to pop out still to breathe yet still allowed for most body coverage. The rat had curled up and closed his eyes, claws gently gripping Yu’s undershirt to keep himself steady as his began to brux once more like he’d done earlier. Yu was beginning to find the sound more comforting than he found cats purring.

The sound of a camera shutter brought Yu back into focus, and he narrowed his eyes and gave Yukiko an unamused look at her attempt at sneaky photography, deciding that was who he was going to focus on and not the eyes of every other group member on him and Oujitan in that moment.

* * *

“Good night, big bro!” Nanako exclaimed as she hugged Yu per their usual evening routine, accepting a hug and a ruffle of her hair in return.

“You brushed your teeth?”

“Yup!”

“You have your clothes laid out for the next day?”

“Yes!”

“School bag packed?”

“Yes!” Nanako responded again, pulling back to puff her cheeks out. “Can I say goodnight to Oujitan too?” 

Yu laughed, moving to carefully pick Oujitan up from where he’d been idling in his shoebox home, almost as if he were lost in thought. Oujitan responded with a soft noise, shifting from a daze to tilting his head back in interest with a twitch of his nose as he sniffed. “Of course you can,” he told her gently, and Oujitan seemed to pick up on what was happening, as he easily complied to being held in Nanako’s hands. 

“Goodnight, Oujitan,” Nanako told him, bringing him up to hold close to her face and closing her eyes happily as she gave him as much of a hug as she could without crushing him. Oujitan bruxed in response, appearing content up until she planted a kiss on his head. That resulted in Oujitan a repeat of what he’d done earlier with Yukiko’s kiss— shifting himself in an attempt to bring his paws up and clean the area.

“Oh,” Nanako said, her expression falling slightly. “Does he not like kisses?”

Not only did Yu immediately jump to reassure her that he could just be not used to affection, but Oujitan also paused and held his paws up and squeaked as if he were doing the same thing. Yu took note of that particular odd action and decided to take Oujitan back into his grasp. 

“Sleep well, Nanako,” he told her, receiving the same words in return as Nanako hurried off to her room to go to bed. Yu turned back to Oujitan’s box on the dining room table, holding him up to his face.

“Can you understand what I’m saying?” he asked, feeling almost dumb for asking him with such sincerity, and Oujitan paused, halting his idle movements as he clearly considered Yu’s words. His tail swished and he nodded.

 _Huh_. Yu hummed and decided not to comment further on that. He set the furry animal onto his shoulder, moving to collect the shoebox and bring it with him up to his room with him so he too could wind down and hopefully sleep for the night. 

When he tried to put Oujitan back in his box this time however, Oujitan responded less than kindly, his claws digging into Yu’s sleep shirt and refusing to release his grip as he made a gruff and annoyed noise. “C’mon, you need to go back in,” Yu told him with gritted teeth, attempting to carefully remove his claws without harming his shirt, though Oujitan’s determination showed through as he kept an iron grip and only made more frustrated noises.

“Oujitan,” he said, sounding stern and giving another tug, yet Oujitan didn’t let up still. “ _Oujitan_.”

At his harsh tone, the rat jolted and released, freeing the fabric from his grasp at the cost of Oujitan giving Yu the saddest and most betrayed look he’d ever had an animal give him, which was saying something when he was friends with Teddie. To add more pain to Yu’s growing guilt already, Oujitan also went limp in his grasp, dangling his limbs, and Yu knew very well he was being played by the rat but it didn’t stop him from bringing him close to his chest in a cradling motion.

“I’m sorry, Oujitan,” Yu apologized softly, running his thumb along his face and down his back. The action was met with a soft noise, turning into the now-familiar sound of bruxing.

He held him until he tried to put Oujitan back in his box a second time, which was met with another desperate claw grab at his shirt, though this time it was less firm than the first. “Okay, you understand what I’m saying,” Yu started, bringing him up to eye level, “so what is it you want me to do? Do you just want to be held more or something?”

Oujitan seemed to pause, staring at Yu with a fixed expression, and then he moved to his haunches and began to make a cleaning motion at his head.

It took Yu a few moments to realize the rat was actually asking him to give him a kiss.

“Y-you want a- _what_?” Yu asked, his cheeks flaring up. This was now the point where Yu was beginning to wonder if maybe- hopefully- this day was all a dream. Hopefully. Almost as hopeful as the way Oujitan perked up and nodded his head before doing the motion once more.

Yu made a choked sound as he processed the whole moment, but it wasn’t like he was going to tell Oujitan no. Besides, he’s just an animal — maybe a really smart one, but still an animal nonetheless. It couldn’t be any different than when Yu sometimes gave the more tolerant neighborhood cats little kisses.

He paused, prepared himself, and leaned in to plant a kiss on Oujitan’s forehead, but the little rat decided to cock his head and go the extra mile with a kiss on the lips.

Suddenly there wasn’t a cute little rat in Yu’s hand anymore.

“I can not believe that actually worked,” the black-haired boy said in his arms, a mask adorning his face that was in shape and line exactly like the white blotch that had adorned Oujitan’s eyes. 

Yu was speechless, eyes wide in alarm, but the boy smiled disarmingly and winked. “Also, I have to say I do really like being called prince. It’s a pretty cute pet name.” The boy paused at his last statement. “Ah, no pun intended.”

Yu was quiet for a few more long moments, and the boy’s expression turned into a frown slowly. “Uh, hello?”

With that, Yu flopped him onto the couch in his room. “I’m going to bed,” he announced, almost to no one in particular, walking away to turn his lamp off.

“H-hey!” the black-haired boy stammered, sitting up and adjusting his mask. “You aren’t gonna ask me about why I was a rat?”

“I’m going to bed,” Yu repeated, and the room went dark. “Goodnight.”


End file.
